Has it become obvious now that we can’t challenge for the league?

[James Peril]

I thought we played well and didnt win, which is a concern.

We didn’t really play well, Aston Villa beat Everton 3-0 and carved them open a lot more than we did. We have absolutely not attacking cohesion, it’s a shambles.

 

[TheReligion]

I think it's starting to become clear that Ole has likely taken us as far as he can at the moment. Top 4 and possibly a trophy a feel is the limit. I also feel that with the squad we could be doing more.

City, Liverpool and Chelsea all have more experienced coaches and I do think that's telling.

 

[redshaw]

Yes, before we kicked a ball actually.

We'll need a 2016 style year to have a chance

 

[elmo]

What can we do to fix this situation?Sack Ole and sign the best manager who’s available right now?Would Zidane or Conte be good enough to manage us?

The bar was set real low when they're being compared to Ole.

 

[Irwin99]

Way too early to say. United and City were awful at this point last season and look where they finished. Genuinely thought Ole would have been sacked last year against Everton if he had lost that one but he didn't and the team went on a massive winning run.

This squad has enough quality to win the league though or at the very least get a near challenge.

 

[Red Star One]

I suppose most of fans were fully aware that for Ole to win the league against much better and more talented managers it would take an extreme amount of luck and some magic that would compensate for the obvious shortcomings of our manager, that we knew about before the season as Ole is very consistent in his tactical missteps. That magic was supposed to be Ronaldo, but even a legendary player past his prime can’t carry a below average manager and the midfield said manager refuses to improve.

 

[Someone]

We had an easy start and blew it. No challenge for us but probably a comfortable top 4 finish. What a waste.

 

[Woodzy]

Were we not top in January last season despite our awful start?

 

[Fortitude]

You’d fully expect, even now, that certain managers could challenge for, or win, the league from this exact position, so no: the expectation should not change.

 

[GlasgowCeltic]

Meekly going out of the League Cup was a massive mistake

 

[Jaxa]

The quicker people realise that the better imo

You’re getting sucked in by the media & pundits who are trying to generate a faux excitement that were a better team than we actually are just because we now have Ronaldo & Varane and therefore should be challenging,

We’re currently a good team, not a great team yet and you need to be great with very little flaws to win a title in this league,

Our starting 11 on paper looks amazing sure but that’s been proved time and time again to mean nothing if they can’t all understand each other and work as 1 unit going in the same direction, you sometimes see flashes of it as you did today but we’re still a bit off,

This is all a process and we’re just going to have to be patient unfortunately regardless of it being Ole in Charge or somebody else , definitely on the right path though

 

[LoneStar]

Isn’t that why we spent 70 mil on Sancho?

No mate, it's just part of the process. Reckon we need another 500M or so to win things.

 

[Skills]

I”m not too sure about this.We tend to play much better against the top teams…I wouldn’t be surprised if we beat Liverpool…But then we”ll end up losing silly points against teams that we are expected to beat.That’s the problem…

I'm not convinced. I don't think our record was particularly good against the top 6 last season - though we did get a few good results. Liverpool for example took a shit on us at OT last season. A lot of that perception is based on 19/20 where we did actually have a really good record against the top 6.

 

[Real Name]

If we change a manager we could challenge but it has to be done soon.

 

[LuisNaniencia]

We didn’t really play well, Aston Villa beat Everton 3-0 and carved them open a lot more than we did. We have absolutely not attacking cohesion, it’s a shambles.

In moments we did. Not enough and not creating enough chances.

 

[Harry190]

Still 30 or so odd games to go.

 

[ExoduS]

I was thinking we would fold in March or April not in early October, practically September!

 

[sullydnl]

Not with this manager, no.

If we were to make a change relatively early this season then some sort of challenge for a major trophy may still be possible, particularly in the CL.

As it stands our standard of performance is too low. And while it would usually be too early to judge after 7 league games, the fact that the same problems were present in the previous season and haven't improved is telling enough for us to know the pattern of the first few months of this season will continue.

 

[KiD MoYeS]

I have been one of Ole's biggest defenders but coming into this season I expected a challenge for one, or both, of the Premier League and Champions League. It is now obvious this will not happen with Ole as manager. I think another manager is in charge start of next season. However, in the interest of my mental health I'm not going to try worry about the manager this season because I don't see the board acting on it. The club should get top four and might get lucky in the FA Cup, what can you do?

 

[SAFMUTD]

Not with this manager, that's for sure.

 

[wolvored]

Its too early really; However with Ole in charge you cant see it. The 2 early subs today. Why?

 

[FerociousCorgis]

Still 30 or so odd games to go.

And we've squandered how many of the easier fixtures?

 

[Nikelesh Reddy]

That was true two seasons ago mate.

Last year we where shite versus the top teams!

Hmmm the game against Tottenham at OT was a disaster,and Ofcourse we conceded 4 against Liverpool at OT…But we actually didn’t concede a goal in the 4 games that we played against the PL and the UCL champions…We picked up 4 points against city

 

[Real Name]

Its too early really; However with Ole in charge you cant see it. The 2 early subs today. Why?

It's as if he thought he has to do it. Absolutely no need.

 

[Harry190]

And we've squandered how many of the easier fixtures?

I don't know man. City were dead in the water at this point last year.

I'm trying to tell myself it can't really be much worse than it is right now. Only way to go is up.

 

[Frosty]

I thought we played well and didnt win, which is a concern.

To me playing well and not winning is not so much of a concern and playing badly (over a long period of time) and grinding out some good results. I am not expecting us to dominate every side but we do lack a coherent style or plan of play (to me anyway).

 

[Redlyn]

It is early, but I am calling it. We cant challenge.

 

[Sparky Rhiwabon]

Or is it still far too early in the season to come to such a conclusion?

No I knew that when the window closed and our first choice midfield was still McFred

 

[Frosty]

Its too early really; However with Ole in charge you cant see it. The 2 early subs today. Why?

He gets criticised for making subs too early and criticised for not making subs. Are we being too harsh?

 

[RedPed]

We seem to have this aversion to taking advantage of the games around us and amassing any points advantage at the top of the league. That is the most frustrating thing for me.

 

[Nikelesh Reddy]

To me playing well and not winning is not so much of a concern and playing badly (over a long period of time) and grinding out some good results. I am not expecting us to dominate every side but we do lack a coherent style or plan of play (to me anyway).

Exactly.Apart from Leeds and Newcastle,every other match could have gone either way….West ham,villareal,today’s game against Everton…It’s just not good enough…

 

[Real Name]

He gets criticised for making subs too early and criticised for not making subs. Are we being too harsh?

No, he should take the middle, make subs when needed and smart ones.

 

[mancan92]

I love ole but it's clear we ain't winning anything with him

 

[MUFC OK]

Ronaldo's reaction at the end of the game was that of a serial winner that knows he's wasted a year of his career without a chance of a trophy.

this worries me, we’re going to waste this incredible group of players and not seriously challenge for the league. Ole must go.

 

[tenpoless]

What can we do to fix this situation?Sack Ole and sign the best manager who’s available right now?Would Zidane or Conte be good enough to manage us?

Conte can come in and instantly improve the results. Only the results though. He is also a mad man. Hard decision really.

 

[Siorac]

Well, we aren't out yet in the sense that our squad is theoretically capable of the sort of performances required for a title challenge.

However, we're playing poorly, and almost every single game is a scrap till the end, a fight that can go either way. We don't impose ourselves on games, we don't really do confident wins - such teams are highly unlikely to win league titles.

 

[MUFC OK]

We're simply not playing well enough. It's too early to say it's obviously over but it very clearly will be unless performances improve because the standards set for winning this league are high.

Over 38 games there is no getting fortunate or scrambling to a title challenge, for the most part the results will follow the performances. If we're conceding simple goals and not creating enough then there are problems at both ends of the pitch and even if we solve one it will probably leave us short of the relentless consistency required.

It will be over after our next 4 league games and so should ole’s tenure as manager be.

 

[Seveneric]

It was obvious once nothing was done to strengthen the midfield, you can't challenge for titles with that joke.

I guess top 4 was the aim again this year.

 

[laughtersassassin]

Hmmm the game against Tottenham at OT was a disaster,and Ofcourse we conceded 4 against Liverpool at OT…But we actually didn’t concede a goal in the 4 games that we played against the PL and the UCL champions…We picked up 4 points against city

We also barley scored a goal

 

[Stacks]

I was thinking this during the game. We just feel so gettable if you know what I mean